Venting closure for vacuum and pressure containers



I United States Patent [72] Inventor James E. Westfall [56] References Cited Western Springs, Illinois UNITED STATES PATENTS PP 730,808 3,369,689 2/1968 Dodge 2l5/56X 1 Flled 3, 1963 3,441,167 4/1969 Balocca 220/4424 [45] Patented Nov. 24, 1970 [73] Assignee Continental Can Company, Inc. Primary 'f g New York, New Attorney-Diner, Brown, Ramik & l-lolt a corporation of New York ABSTRACT: This disclosure relates to a venting closure for vacuum containers, the closure including an aperture which is [54] VACUUM AND normally closed by a pull tab extension which projects through PR 71) i the aperture and beyond a sealant surrounding the aperture 16 Chums raw internally of the closure. Upon the removal of the pull tab the [52] US. Cl 215/56, extension thereof is removed from the aperture and simultane- 22 0/44 ously forms an opening in the sealant. If the container with [51] Int. Cl 865d 51/16 which the venting closure is associated is under vacuum, at- [50] Field of Search 215/56; mospheric pressure is established internally of the container to 220/44, 53 permit the removal of the closure.

Patented Nov. 24, 1970 3,542,232

INVENTOR JAMES BLUESTFHLL III).

ATTORNEYS It is common inthepackaging industry toapplyclosures to containers which are packaged under superath'tosplieric or subatmospheric conditions. Coffee, for example; .is generally packaged under a vacuum. In some cases the closures of vacuum packaged containers are devoid of screw threads, lugs or similar fastening means and are simply held in place by at- .m'ospheric pressure. Thus, it is necessary to break the vacuum to release the closure which in the past has been done by prying and thus distorting a peripheral skirt of the closure which precludes the use of the latter as a reclosure.

In keeping with the foregoing it is therefore a primary object of this invention to provide a novel venting closure which is suitedfor vacuum application. the closure including a body having an end panel, an aperture in the'end panel, and anextension of a pull'tab closing the aperture whereby the latter may be opened by removing the extension from the aperture to permit the passage of atmospheric pressure therethrough, to pressure-balance the closure thereby permitting the removal of the closure from an associated container.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novelventing closure of the type heretofore described wherein a sealant surrounds the pull tab extension to form a hermetic seal, and the extension of the pull tab projects beyond the sealant whereby upon the removal thereof from the aperture an opening is also formed in the sealant.

. A further object of this invention is to provide a novel venting closure of the type described wherein the pull tab extension is formed as an integral extension of the pull tab formed from the material thereof, or as a separate rivetlike member.

With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the inventionwill be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, the appended claimed subject matter, and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

v IN THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a fragmentary top perspective view of a novel venting closure constructed in accordance with this invention, and

illustrates a pull tab having an extension positioned within an aperture of an endpanel of the venting closure.

' FIG. 2 is anenlarged fragmentary exploded view of the pull tab. the extension thereof; and the aperture of the end panel prior to the insertion of the pull tab extension into the aperture..

.andin this case it will be assumed that the interior of the container C is below atmospheric pressure.

The closure, includes an end panel 11 which terminates at a periphery thereof in an annular channel 12. The annular channel 12 includes sealing compound S for forming a hermetic seal between the closure 10 and the lip B of the container C. The periphery of the end panel 11 further includes a peripheral skirt 13 having an inwardly and upwardly directed locking bead 14 which engages beneath the shouldered lip B in a manner clearly illustrated in FIG. 3. The peripheral skirt 13 is sufficiently flexible to permit the locking bead 14 to pass upwardly beyond the shoulder of the lip B for removal of the closure 10 from the container C. However, it is to be understood that the major force securing the closure 10 upon the neck N of the container C is atmospheric pressure externally thereof.

A central portion of the end panel 11 is provided with an upwardly opening annular channel 15 centrally of which is formed an aperture 16. The aperture 16 is of a generally rectangular configuration, but the shape thereof may be varied, as will be more apparent hereinafter. The aperture 16 is provided to vent the container C upon the removal of a pull tab extension 17 therefrom. The pull tab extension 17 is formed from the material of the pull tab, which is generally designated by the reference numeral 18, and includes a finger gripping opening 20 for facilitating the removal of the extension 17 from the aperture 16. A pair of legs 21, 22 serve as fulerums during the removal of the pull tab 18 by an upward pivoting movement thereof, as is readily apparent from FIG. 3 and the unnumbered headed arrow illustrated therein.

In order to maintain a hermetic seal between the pull tab extension 17 and the aperture 16 of the end panel 11, sealing means 23 in the form of sealing compound is disposed in surrounding relationship to the extension 17 internally of the end panel 11 in a chamber (unnumbered) defined by the annular groove 15. The sealing material 23 is also sufficiently adhesive to securely hold the extension in the position shown in FIG. 3, although the bond strength of the sealing material 23 can be overcome by manual force.

When it is desired to vent the container C to atmosphere the pull tab 18 is gripped and pivoted in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 3. During this pivoting movement FIG. 4 is a fragmentary exploded view of another venting closure'of this invention, and illustrates a separate rivetlike member for closing an aperture ofa closure end panel.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of the closure of FIG. 4 taken generally along a line similar to the line 3-3 of FIG. 1, and illustrates the manner in which the rivetlike member is surroundedby sealant internally of the closure.

FIG. 6 is'a top perspective view of another pull tab of this invention, and illustrates an integral extension thereof in the form of a tubular sleeve or rivet.

the legs 21, 22 serve as fulcrums, and the extension 17 is progressively withdrawn through the sealing material 23 and the aperture 16 until the entire pull tab 18 has been removed. When so removedthe aperture 16 has been opened and an opening is made in the sealing material 23 upon the removal of the extension 17 therefrom. It is to be particularly noted that the extension 17 projects beyond the sealing material 23 in FIG. 3 to thereby assure the formation of an opening in the sealing material upon theremoval of the pull tab 18 and the extension 17 thereof. The container C may now freely vent" by the passage of atmosphere through the aperture 16 and the opening in the sealing material 23 into the interior of the container C. The closure 10 can now be readily manually removed without permanently distorting the peripheral skirt 13, thereby subsequently functioning as a reclosure for the which illustrates another closure 30 which is identical to the FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken through the pull tab ofFlG. 6 and an associated closure along a line similar to the line 3-3 of FIG. 1, and illustratesthe manner in which the pull tab extension is scaled adjacent an aperture of the closure end panel.

A novel venting closure constructed in accordance with this invention'is illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 3 of the drawing, and is generally designated by the reference numeral 10. The venting closure 10 is associated with a container C which may be formed from glass, plastic or a metallic material, and includes a neck N terminating in a shouldered bead or lip B. The container C is packaged with a suitable product (not shown),

closure 10 except for the provision of a circular aperture 31 in an end panel 32, as opposed to the generally rectangular aperture 16 of the closure 10. The aperture 31 is normally closed by an extension of a pull tab 33 which in this case is a separate rivetlike element 34 having a head 35 and a stem 36. The stem 36 is passed through an opening 37 of the pull tab 33 with-the latter opening being formed in an extension 38 of the pull tab 33 between a pair of legs 40, 41. The rivetlike member 34 is seated in the aperture 31, as is clearly illustrated in FIG. 5, and a hermetic seal is effected by sealant 42.

The closure 30 operates identically to that heretofore described relative to the closure 10, and upon counterclockwise pivoting movement of the pull tab 33 in the direction of the unnumbered headed arrow in FIG. 5 the member 36 is removed from the aperture 31 forming an opening in the sealing material 42 to thus effect venting of a container with which the closure 30 is associated.

Reference is now made to FIG. 6 of the drawings which illustrates another pull tab 45 which is identical to the pull tabs 18, 33 except that an extension 46 thereof is provided with an integral tubular drawn rivetlike member 48, as is best illustrated in FIG. 7. The tubular member 48 is received in an aperture 49 of'a closure end panel 50, and hermetically sealed thereat by a sealant 51. A container with which the pull tab 45 is associated may be vented simply by pivoting the pull tab 45 in a counterclockwise direction to remove the tubular extension 48 from the aperture 49, thereby forming an opening in the sealing material 51.

While the various embodiments of the invention heretofore described have been associated with vacuum-type containers, it is also to be understood that the venting closures may likewise be used with pressurized containers or similar vessels. For example, the closure 10 of FIGS. l through 3 could well be used with a pressurized container, such as a metallic can body, and the only alteration necessary would be that of providing a different peripheral configuration for securing the closure in a more positive fashion to the pressurized can body as by, for example, a double seam. Likewise, the peripheral skirt 13 could be provided with screw threads or locking lugs to secure the closure to a pressurized vessel, it being only necessary in the latter case to assure that the securement of the closure to the pressurized vessel is sufficient to overcome the internal pressure tending to remove the closure from the container.

As was heretofore noted, the sealing material of each of the embodiments of the invention is of an adhesive nature and the surface area of the various extensions 17, 36 and 46 is so minor as to prevent the pressure internally of the container acting on the extensions to force the extensions outwardly of the openings. In other words, apart from the more positive securement of the closure to a pressurized vessel the bond strength of the sealing material must be necessarily greater than the pressure tending to force the various extensions outwardly of the closures.

While preferred forms and arrangements of parts have been shown in illustrating the invention, it is to be clearly understood that various changes in details and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope ofthis disclosure.

1 claim:

1. A venting closure comprising a closure body having an end panel, means defining a venting aperture in said end panel of cross-sectional area so minor as to prevent pressure on one side of said panel from forcing a closure for said aperture therefrom, means closing said aperture, said closing means being removably secured to said end panel, and means for gripping said closing means to remove the same from said end panel whereby said aperture is opened to permit the venting of a gaseous medium therethrough, sealing means being provided for preventing the passage of a fluid medium through said aperture when the latter is closed by said closing means, and said closing means is further effective for forming an opening in said sealing means upon the removal of said closing means from said end panel whereby the gaseous medium is permitted to pass through both said end panel aperture and said sealing means opening.

2. A venting closure comprising a closure body having an end panel, means defining an aperture in said end panel, means closing said aperture, said closing means being removably secured to said end panel, means for gripping said closing means to remove the same from said end panel whereby said aperture is opened to permit the venting of n gaseous medium therethrough, sealing means being provided for preventing the passage of a fluid medium through said aperture when the latter is closed by said closing means, and

said closing means is further effective for forming an opening in said sea mg means upon the removal of said c osing means from said end panel whereby the gaseous medium is permitted to pass through both said end panel aperture and said sealing means opening.

3. The venting closure as defined in claim 1 wherein said closing means is a pull tab having a portion received in said aperture for closing the same.

4. The venting closure as defined in claim 1 wherein said closing means is a pull tab having an integral portion received in said aperture for closing the same.

5. The venting closure as defined in claim 1 wherein said closing means is a pull tab having a separate portion united thereto andreceived in said aperture for closing the same.

6. The venting closure-as defined in claim 3 wherein said -pull tab portion is a bent extension of said pull tab.

7. The venting closure as defined in claim 3 wherein said pull tab portion is an integral tubular extension formed from the material of said pull tab.

8. The venting closure as defined in claim 3 wherein said pull tab portion is a separate headed element having a stem received in said aperture and in an aperture of said pull tab.

9. The venting closure as defined in claim 2 wherein said closing means passes completely through said sealing means.

10. The venting closure as defined in claim 2 wherein said closing means is a pull tab having a portion received in said aperture for closing the same, and said pull tab portion passes completely through said sealing means.

11. The venting closure as defined in claim 2 wherein said closing means is a pull tab having a separate portion united thereto and received in said aperture for closing the same, and said separate portion passes completely through said sealing means.

12. The venting closure as defined in claim 2 wherein said closing means is a pull tab having an integral extension formed from the material of said pull tab, said extension is received in said aperture for closing the same, and said extension passes completely through said sealing means.

13. The venting closure as defined in claim 2 wherein said closing means is a pull tab carrying a separate headed element which includes a stem received in said aperture for closing the same, and said stem passes completely through said sealing means.

14. A venting closure comprising a closure body having an end panel, an aperture in said end panel, a closure member seated in said aperture, said closure member projects beyond an inner surface of said end panel, means forming a hermetic seal between said closure member and said end panel at said aperture, said closure member further includes a terminal end projecting beyond said seal forming means, and means for removing said closure member to open said aperture and form an opening in said seal forming means whereby a gaseous medium may be vented through both said opening and aperture.

15. The venting closure as defined in claim 14 wherein said removing means is a pull tab located externally of said end panel.

16. A container closure panel having a venting aperture formed therethrough, closure means for said aperture including a portion extending through and removable from said aperture, and sealing means through which said portion passes sealing said portion to said closure panel about said aperture and from which said portion may be withdrawn to form a venting opening through said sealing means registered with said aperture upon withdrawal of said portion from said aperture. 

